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PLUS: CYCLING; Armstrong 15th In Return to Racing

Lance Armstrong finished the Ruta del Sol cycling tour in Spain in 15th place yesterday, an encouraging end to his first competitive race since a yearlong battle against cancer.

Armstrong's five-stage time was 21 hours 40 minutes 53 seconds, less than a minute behind the winner, Spain's Marcelino Garcia.

Armstrong, a two-time Olympian, won the 1993 world championship and captured stages at the Tour de France in 1993 and 1996.

He also won the Tour Du Pont in 1995 and 1996 before being diagnosed with testicular cancer, which spread to his lungs and brain.

He will make his return to racing in the United States on May 22 at the Sprint 56K Criterium in Austin, Tex. (AP)

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A version of this article appears in print on February 20, 1998, on Page C00009 of the National edition with the headline: PLUS: CYCLING; Armstrong 15th In Return to Racing. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe